A quick look at the Packers run defense in Week 16.
A key element to the Green Bay Packers’ defense pitching a shutout in Week 16 against the New Orleans Saints was the ability to stop the run and hold the Saints to 39 yards rushing. The Saints ended the game with 67 total rushing yards but 28 of that came on quarterback scrambles. Once the game was out of reach, the Saints became one dimensional and the defense held firm.
Before that point though, the Packers were able limit what the Saints run game could do on first and second down, putting the Saints in several third and long passing situations, where they finished 4/11 on third down.
The defense was able to do with with a common technique teams use to defend wide zone running teams: the backdoor slant.
On a backdoor slant, the defensive line slants into the run blocking by reading the direction of the linemen’s get off at the snap and slanting one gap behind where the line up. The second level linebackers fill the gaps the defensive line lined up in.
Here, you can see where the rushing paths of the defensive line take them and where the linebackers fill in relation to that. The intent here is to prevent combination blocks and prevent offensive linemen from climbing to the second level.
The line is almost moving in unison. At the snap, they read the movement quickly and all step left to shoot the gap behind them. This allows the second-level defenders to quickly fill without the threat of being cut off in the second level by linemen trying to climb.
They did this several more times throughout the game as the Saints tried to get the outside zone running game going but were never able to.
Outlook
Matt LaFleur’s December record continues to stack wins and Hafley’s defense is right there leading the charge as he has built a borderline elite defense. The Packers are quickly becoming a team no one wants to face in January and the defense is a big reason why.
While the best they can do is the 5th seed, they can take comfort in the fact that the defense travels well and can hold them in any game in the postseason. First, they have to get past Minnesota in Week 17 on the road, as good of a test as any.